Let's start at the very beginning...a very good place to start... when you read you begin with A, B, C... When you lead you begin with ethos, pathos, logos... OK, so that is not quite the way it goes. But that last part is very true.
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| Do Re Mi |
Recently, and on more than one occasion, the topic of "influencing others" came up. Yes, there are books out there (I'll have to get to them at some point since knowing the game and strategizing is important). If you read and follow techniques on influencing others - then, that is all it will be: technique. If you steer people's thoughts in a direction that's favorable for you, it's manipulation. Let's not forget guilt-tripping, positional authority, psych-ups, etc. etc. So- what is the right way? Not sure if there is one in particular. However, I see it as good old leadership. If you want others to follow (not just be influenced) by what you said - we need to lead. Just like before we can run, we learn to walk. Before we can walk, most of us crawl our tumble. Before we can lead, we cannot do without these three (in order):
Ethos: The source's credibility
Pathos: The emotional appeal / language
Logos: The logic and facts
By the way, I have yet to meet someone who does not to love The Sound of Music. "Do Re Mi" is not only a great song (sing-along or otherwise), it is a great example that we need basic building blocks and a natural order of progression in order to create. In this case, they are a prerequisite to creating a song and singing!
Of the 3 basic building blocks, Ethos is my personal favorite. Why?
